Whatever your conviction, to have such a contest of leadership, so near an election, is ridiculous and radical. This provides bait for opposition parties who can make claims of party instability in their case against the government. And rightly so. While I am not a member of either party, nor do I particularly sympathise with either, it should be obvious to anybody that to overthrow a party leader at this stage is absurd. Just a few days ago, members of the Labour party were stating that the Conservative party was in disarray. Surely now, the Conservative will jump all over this situation which Labour backbenchers are lobbying for.
The truth is, while Gordon Brown is not the most charismatic leader that Labour have had, we must remember that he as inherited an abundance of crap from the government of his predecessor, Tony Blair(who can now be spotted giving testimonies in war investigations as well as occasionally lecturing in faith and religion in the highest bidding Universities in various countries!). Similar to that which Irish Taoiseach, Brian Cowan, was bestowed with not long after taking the Fianna Fail highchair after the resignation of Bertie Ahern. The difference is that while it may be advisable for Labour to choose a new leader, it might have been a better move to wait until after the election (one which sadly see the politically prowess-less David Cameron become UK-PM). Labour party members should remember that while they may have entered the party under the illusion that Labour was a workers' party, its direction has changed greatly over the last 15 years. Gordon Brown is, in many ways, the last true socialist in Labour and this does not help when you are forced to deal with matters of previous misspending in a conservative manner so as to protect your economy from going completely belly-up. A character like Brown should have been in Blair's place from the start perhaps.
This post is not meant to signify endorsement of any party. In neither Ireland or the UK do I have a party alignment. It is just designed to bring a common sense approach to the Labour party backbencher's latest move. It is difficult to forecast what effects the tactic will have come election time, but it can be easily speculated that the Conservatives, as well as other rival parties will gain some momentum regardless of whether or not there is a secret ballot or not.
P.S. This post wil be updated in the coming days, so bear that in mind if you wish to make a comment.
SHC
